To Heal Or To Harm
by frosty600
Summary: AU. After discovering that Klaus has daggered all his siblings and after almost getting daggered himself Elijah loses hope of ever reuniting his family. One night at a bar he meets a bar tender with a strange power. She is an Empath and may just be the key to rekindling Elijah's hope. Elijah/OC


**Disclaimer: **I don't own The Vampire Diaries or its spin off The Originals or any of the characters mentioned in either cannon.

**A/N:** Ok so this is technically my second attempt at writing a fanfiction in this fandom, but it is my first non-crossover in it. I hope that you all enjoy the introduction to this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it.

**PRELUDE**

Delilah stood behind the bar of the small, slightly rundown bar and diner that she worked at, her gaze for the minute focused on the beer mug she was filling with the foaming amber liquid. The task completed she looked up with a smile and handed it over to the newly turned twenty-one year old man that was waiting for his first legal beer.

The excitement he was feeling made her own smile widen in delight for him as he accepted the mug with a broad thankful grin whilst handing over a folded over a grin bill.

Delilah took the note from him and quickly deposited it in the cash register, before turning her attention to the next customer, doing her best to filter the emotions that were threatening to mingle with her own.

It wasn't the easiest thing in the world, being born with the ability to feel the every emotion of those around you no matter how small or fleeting. When she had been young child it had been impossible for her to distinguish her own emotions from those around her, leading her to sometimes cry out of nowhere or chuck a sudden temper tantrum for no apparent reason. So for most of her elementary school life, she had been home schooled so that her mother could also spend time teaching her how to better control her ability.

It had been a little lonely, but she was grateful to her mother for it. She didn't know what her life would be like if she had no control over her empathy and she felt everything everyone was feeling all at once… but she was sure that it would not be pretty and nothing like the nice little slice of life she had managed to carve out for herself.

The bar may not be the most glamorous of places to work, but it was perfect for her to act on her duty. As an Empath, her mother had always taught her that it was her duty to help those in need; to heal them of their emotional wounds so that they could live their life to the fullest.

It was something that gave her a great sense of accomplishment every time she succeeded in her duty.

Delilah was pulled from her thoughts as the front door to the bar opened and a tall, handsome man, with dark hair and eyes to match walked in. She raised a surprised brow as she took in the expensive looking suit he was wearing. It wasn't that he didn't look good in the black suit; it was that in all the time that she had worked in the bar. She had never seen anybody chose to come here in a suit, let alone an expensive one.

This was hardly the kind of bar that high-end people came. It was normally a place where young adults came to drink because the alcohol was cheap and there was always something for them to munch on or people who felt the need to drown their sorrows, but this one didn't look the type to try and drown his sorrows and didn't look like any young college student she had ever seen. If anything it looked to her like he was a successful business man, but without the stereotypical briefcase.

And yet as he drew closer to the bar and his dark chocolate brown eyes met her cobalt blue eyes for a brief moment, she felt his deep sorrow and hopelessness and beneath that the sharper ting of anger and betrayal.

And for a brief moment she struggled to keep her eyes from tearing up as she forced herself to remember that it wasn't her that was feeling those things, but the handsome gentleman that was now standing in front of her.

She saw his eyes narrow slightly on her as if somehow sensing that there was something different about her; as if sensing the gentle touch of her empathetic powers. Delilah blinked and turned her gaze down to the bar in front of her for a brief moment as she digested the possibility, before looking back up at him with a bright smile, determined for the moment to ignore her own suspicions that he was a supernatural being as well. It was normally only other supernatural beings that could on occasion sniff out other supernatural beings.

"What can I get you?" she asked as he sat down on the bar stool directly across from where she was standing.

"Whiskey, the best you have on offer," Elijah replied as he continued to stare at the woman that gave him a curious feeling. The woman's straightened black bangs framed her delicate face in a complimentary way, whilst the rest of the thick long mass was tied back into a ponytail and fell down her back in wild curls that looked as if they were trying to escape the tie that was holding them so confined.

He watched as she picked up a bottle from behind the bar and poured the amber liquid into an already prepared glass, before sliding it over to him with a practiced motion. He handed over a couple of bills that he thought would be enough to pay for the expensive spirit.

Delilah silently added up the bills he had handed her and stepped over to the register that was tucked deliberately out of sight.

Elijah lifted the glass from the bar and took a generous mouthful of the amber liquid, returning his gaze to the pretty woman behind the bar that looked barely old enough to be legal as she set some change down beside his elbow.

He tilted the glass back and swallowed down the last of the liquid, "Another," he requested as he set the glass back down against the bar.

Delilah raised an eyebrow at him even as she picked up the single malt whiskey bottle again and dutifully poured the legal single serving into the glass once again, "Careful there, fella. This stuff isn't sugar water you know,"

Elijah picked up the glass, "I can handle my liquor," he murmured, before finishing the contents of the glass in a single gulp and set it back down to be filled again.

"I have no doubt," Delilah murmured as she filled his glass again and watched as he swiftly polished off the contents once again, "Anything you wanted to talk about?" she offered as she sat the bottle down again.

Elijah gave her a slightly sharp look, "No," he said bluntly, his voice perhaps a little sharper than he had intended.

Delilah set the bottle down on the bar within the handsome gentleman's reach and moved to continue on down the bar.

Elijah winced slightly as he watched her retreat from him, "I'm sorry," he called after her making her pause and look back at him with a small amount of surprise in her eyes as she regarded him, "I didn't mean to be so rude, it has been a long day,"

Delilah smiled at him, "Don't be silly," she said lightly, "I just have other customers clamouring for my attention. I've left the bottle in your reach,"

Elijah didn't respond for a moment, he didn't think that he had ever been called 'silly' before.

"Still, I apologise,"

Delilah nodded, "Then you are forgiven… uh," she hesitated realizing that she didn't know his name.

"Elijah," he filled in for her.

"Elijah," she murmured under her breath testing the name on her tongue quietly, "Well, Elijah I'm,"

"Delilah," a slightly intoxicated man yelled from across the room by an old fashioned duke box, "The music machine thing isn't working!"

Delilah sighed softly and gave Elijah an apologetic smile of her own, "Excuse me," she murmured, before moving around the bar, "Have you given it a kick?" she asked as she moved around the bar.

Elijah raised the glass to his lips, a frown furrowing his brow as he took another drink from it. No, he really wasn't in the mood to talk about it. The wound was still to fresh and cut too deep for him to want to lance it.

His family was broken and now he knew that there was no hope of rebuilding it and being what they once were to each other. Most of them were lost to him, the only family member he had left was Niklaus and he could no longer decide which he felt for his younger sibling more hatred or love.

Elijah moved to take another gulp of his drink only to realize that he had finished off the contents without realizing, setting the glass down, he grasped the whiskey bottle Delilah had so kindly left within his reach so that he could pour himself another whilst she was busy.

Delilah moved back behind the bar, the music once again playing through the bar, having fixed the duke box with a simple kick to its side, "Can I get you something to munch on?" she asked Elijah as she eyed him down another glass of the potent liquid like it was sugar water, knowing that drunk people often got the munchies, "The cook's still here so I can order you up a bowl of wedges if you like?" she offered.

"That'll be unnecessary," Elijah assured her and watched for a brief passing moment as she moved on down the bar to serve drinks to a few of the other patrons that were now waiting along the bar.

It didn't take her long to satisfy the other customer's needs and give one order of wedges with vanilla yogurt instead of sour cream to the kitchen, before she wondered back over to Elijah who was once again the only person still seated at the bar, "You know," she started conversationally as she picked up the whiskey bottle that was depleted quite a bit since she had sat it on the bar beside the sorrowful man, and poured him another drink, "I think I severely under estimated just how well you hold your liquor. I would be on the floor by now,"

"You drink spirits?" Elijah murmured a little surprised. He found most women didn't like strong spirits.

"Yeah I do, my dad was a big whiskey drinker. Though not quite as big as you," Delilah said lightly, "He did all he could to ensure that I liked the stuff as much as he did,"

"Delilah," the cook called, "Wedges with yogurt is ready,"

Delilah moved away from Elijah towards the bowl of wedges and the sauce bowl filled with yogurt, unaware as Elijah increasingly curious gaze followed after her.

Elijah lowered his gaze as Delilah moved past him, the wedges in hand, not wanting to seem rude for a second time in one night. He couldn't help, but find her curious though. It had nothing to do with her physically, although her eyes were very striking and almost an unnatural bright blue. It seemed to him that something about her made him feel a little better, like her proximity was somehow managing to steal away the bitter brew of pain and sorrow he felt over recent events.

Delilah moved back behind the bar, the wedges delivered to the waiting table. Her gaze drifting to Elijah once again, his suffering prodding at her making her want to fold him into an embrace and kiss away the pain he was feeling; if that was at all possible, "Are you sure that you don't want to talk about what's making you down drink after drink?" she asked again, not wanting to push the man that looked older than her by perhaps only a couple of years, four at the most, she would guess.

Elijah gave her a slightly distrustful look, "Why exactly are you so interested?"

Delilah shrugged effecting the appearance of nonchalance, "It's part of my job. People pretty much consider bar tenders to be under paid shrinks,"

"Perhaps," Elijah acknowledge as he set down his empty glass once again, "But, I didn't not come here tonight in order to use you so,"

Delilah took her lower lip between her two front upper teeth and nibbled on it softly as she moved to pick up the whiskey bottle. _Why does he have to make it so difficult for me?_ She thought, becoming worried that she would not get the chance to heal the man before her whose pain and sorrow was battering at her, leaving a very hollow and empty feeling in her chest. She could only imagine how bad it must feel to him.

Delilah looked up in surprise as before she could begin filling up his glass, his masculine hand closed about her wrist in a grip that wasn't painful, but was firm and gave her the impression that he wasn't going to let her go if she got something wrong. She turned her gaze up to him and did her best to give him a calm querying smile. Despite the small bolt of fear that gripped her as the slightly cool touch of his hand let her know exactly what he was.

_Vampire_

"What manner of creature are you?" Elijah asked in a low voice that wouldn't attract the attention of the others in the bar.

Delilah relaxed. He wasn't going to hurt her. She couldn't feel any sense of malice towards her, just curiosity. She leaned in towards him a little across the expanse of the bar that stood between them and met his gaze with a small playful smile; a playfulness that could also be seen shining in her eyes.

"I could ask the same of you," she countered and got the small satisfaction of feeling his surprise at her words and his hand loosening about her wrist, whether intentionally or accidentally she didn't know, but she used it to slip her hand free of his grip, "Can I pour you another drink?" she asked.

Elijah remained silent for a moment as he regarded the woman who had just peeked his curiosity further, before replying, "No, I believe I've had enough for one night," he murmured, standing as he dug his wallet out of his pocket again and took out a generous amount of bills and dropped them down carelessly on the bar, "Keep the change," he informed her, before turning and walking out of the bar.

Delilah watched him go for a moment, before turning her attention back to the remaining patrons in the bar for the remainder of her shift.

***O*O*O***

Delilah walked briskly out of the bar, the cool night air nipping at her, making her clutch her jacket to her a little tighter as she made her way across the bars parking lot and over to her car, that had admittedly seen better days, but still faithfully got her everywhere she needed to go.

She felt his emotions brushing hers, before she felt his eyes on her and she paused in the middle fitting the key into the old fashioned lock.

"You know what I am," his voice stated from behind her.

Delilah turned around as she lowered her arm back down to her side and regarded the man that was standing a short distance from her, his hands in the pockets of his suit pants, "I do," she admitted with a nod.

"And yet, you do not fear me," Elijah murmured as he took a step towards her.

Delilah shrugged, "I don't feel that you would harm me," she replied a little evasively.

Her answer made Elijah frown as he continued to regard her with curiosity, "What are you?" he asked again.

Delilah let out a little sigh, she wasn't overly fond of being called a 'what', "I'm an Empath," she replied after a moment of considering him with her cobalt blue eyes.

"An Empath," Elijah murmured as he felt surprise and curiosity mingle inside of him once again, his dark brown eyes looking her up and down in consideration, "Empaths are considered to be a mere myth,"

"Well, here's proof standing right in front of you," Delilah said with a gesture to herself and another small shrug as she tilted her head back slightly to be able to continue looking comfortably at Elijah's face as he took another step towards her. Her petite height making her fell tiny in comparison.

"I can help you, Elijah," she continued in a more serious, but empathetic tone, "I can feel the pain you're suffering. If you'd allow me, I could heal it," she offered.

Elijah stared down at her for a moment longer. His dark eyes never left hers as if trying to pierce into her soul, holding Delilah captive in their depths, before he sped off into the night without a word.

Delilah stared at the empty space Elijah had been occupying, "He'll be back," she murmured to herself as she turned back towards her car and went to unlock it again.

_I hope he'll be back anyway._ She thought as she slid herself into the driver's seat of her car and shut the door solidly behind her, fully intent on getting home getting herself a drink and putting her feet up for a little while before she attempted to get some sleep.


End file.
